New study finds that the first person on Mars should be female

NASA is developing a way to send humans to Mars in the 2030's - and a new study has suggested women would be the best astronauts for this exploration.

Researchers from the European Space Agency (ESA) found women use less oxygen, produce less carbon dioxide and require less food in comparison to males.

A mission lasting 1,080 days with four women astronauts was simulated by researchers who found they needed 3.736 pounds less food, and saving more than $158 million in the process.

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While an all-female crew would be smaller in frame and stature, meaning the group would have more space in the capsule and room for more life-saving equipment.

Given the long seven-month journey to Mars, researchers are asking space agencies to consider this data in order to reduce the mass and volume of food needed for the expedition.

NASA scientist Geoffrey Landis previously commented on the advantages of female astronauts back in 2000.

"They have lower mass and take up less volume," he said.

"The argument for an all-female crew is simple: such a crew would require considerably less support… and allow a smaller spacecraft.

Landis added: "This would produce a considerable savings in cost."

When it comes numbers, just 72 out of 622 that have made it into space were women as per NASA.

The space agency itself has sent a total of 355 people to space so far, of which some 55 have been women - equivalent to 15 percent.

Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut was the first woman in space in 1963, the first American woman in space came twenty years later in 1983 with Sally Ride.

Last month, NASA announced Christina Koch will be the first woman to reach the moon as part of the Artemis II crew expected to launch in November 2024.

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